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Moving mountains — Group seeks protection for wild lands

By Andi Murphy / amurphy@lcsun-news.com

Posted:
02/09/2013 02:31:56 AM MST

Click photo to enlarge

Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks hike in the southern Las Uvas plain, examining WWII bomb remnants near one of three Deming bombing targets located within the proposed boundaries of the national monument.

A group of dedicated people in southern New Mexico has a mission to protect, preserve and promote the land surrounding Las Cruces.

The Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peak Wilderness have been advocating for the promotion of these surrounding areas to national monument status since their formation in 2010.

"Through efforts like ours, groups can change the designation of lands into monuments," said Lucas Herndon, executive director of the nonprofit group.

Through the Bureau of Land Management, four locations around town — Organ Mountains, Potrillo Mountains, Sierra de Las Uvas range and a portion of the Doña Ana Mountain range — could become national monuments and have federal protections.

It's the friends' vision for these lands to be used by the public for hiking, hunting, education and to simply have for aesthetic reasons. Federal protection will guarantee these lands are protected and used properly for those reasons and closed off to further private development.

"It's protecting public lands for public use," Herndon said. "In these few thousand acres, it's just a phenomenal time capsule."

The Aden volcanic flow is located at Potrillo Mountains and it's also where astronauts from the NASA Apollo project trained because it looks very much like the surface of the moon.

Sierra de Las Uvas contains human remnants that date back thousands of years and was once used to mark the border of Mexico.

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It also contains "Outlaw Rock" where Billy the Kid hung out and Chavez Cave, or Geronimo's Cave. There are also three WWII bombing targets in this range, Herndon said.

The Organ Mountains are a signature of Las Cruces — they provide the backdrop for the city, a place to hike and are a natural monument to cherish, he said.

In just a 20-minute drive from the city "you can experience total darkness and have a wonderful view of the entire night sky," Herndon said.

According to the Bureau of Land Management, a national monument is "public land designated to protect historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, or other objects of historic or scientific interest."

There are 17 national monuments in eight states. Each was approved and received the signature of the president. The Prehistoric Trackways National Monument is one of those and is located just a few miles north of Las Cruces. There are also more than 100 other protected areas established by the president or Congress.

"I really feel it's important to protect the Organ Mountains and surrounding natural areas," said Frank Sholedice, a new member of the Friends group. "I just think they're very lovely things and we should be doing things to help keep them the way they are."

Sholedice likes to hike and camp in the Organs and loves Fillmore Canyon. Some of biggest fears are that one day that land will be subject to residential and commercial development; that houses will continue to be built all the way up to the foot of the mountain, he said.

His other fear is that companies will take over to mine natural resources.

"If we had — especially at a federal level — protection, we can prevent that from happening," Sholedice said. "If you're interested in protecting the Organ Mountains, see what the Friends group is doing and support them. Even if you can't, go out and enjoy the mountains while you can."

Andi Murphy can be reached at 575-541-5453; follow Andi on Twitter @andimurphy.

Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peak Wilderness

Mission: We promote the protection and preservation of public lands and their diverse populations of wildlife and plants, rich cultural and archeological features, and intrinsic aesthetic qualities.

Info: 575-323-1423, organmtnfriends.org, "Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks" on Facebook and @OrganMtnFriends on Twitter.

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